


Spring Blossoms

by Iron_Eirlyssa (Eirlyssa)



Series: Eirlyssa's 2020 Bingo Fills [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Because of course he did, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Gardener Tony Stark, Getting Together, Greenfloor?, He built his own greenhouse, He combines the two, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Tony Stark Bingo 2020, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Likes Gardening, Tony Stark Likes Helping People, Winteriron Month 2020, cuteness, of sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-23 04:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23005900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eirlyssa/pseuds/Iron_Eirlyssa
Summary: There wasn't much Tony had that was trulyhis, but this was one of them. Until he noticed Bucky struggling and decided to help.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: Eirlyssa's 2020 Bingo Fills [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599220
Comments: 16
Kudos: 373
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020, WinterIron Month 2020





	1. Plant your seeds

**Author's Note:**

> A chapter for the third day of WinterIron month, for the word prompt: Flowers. Also fills square A4 for my Tony Stark Bingo (card 3022).
> 
> Hopefully you enjoy it!

There was a floor in the Tower that hardly anyone knew about.

It was situated above Stark Industries, but below the residential levels. Tony’s lab spanned multiple floors, and he’d been careful to make sure it was quite difficult to tell how many. He didn’t want anyone to know about the floor he’d worked in there _just for him_.

Certainly, he’d always loved inventing, and electronics, and technology. It was a part of him the world had known since he was four years old and his father smiled widely, _fakely_ , and stood next to him as the press took pictures of the young Stark and the circuit board he’d made.

Throughout his life, so much of it had been in the spotlights, publicized, that there was fairly little that was just _his_. Anything Howard and Obie felt they could use was thrown out there, ostensibly for the good of Stark Industries. And as he grew older, he quickly learned that most of the people he met were no different, using every part of him they could get for their own interests.

But there was one part that he’d managed to keep. One part that Howard and Obie had scorned, because why would the heir to one of the greatest technological empires, the heir to a company meant to create weapons, be interested in _gardening_? In _flowers_ , of all things?

As much as Obie usually tried to offset some of Howard’s worse parenting (to keep Tony following him like an attention-starved puppy, he thought later), this was one thing they agreed on.

After surviving Afghanistan, as well as the following palladium poisoning, there were some changes Tony wanted to make in his life. And with the designing and building of the New York headquarters for SI, he got the chance to do at least one thing he’d been dreaming of for _years_.

He designed himself an indoor garden.

Every plant in it, he’d put there himself. He’d designed optimal lighting, watering and irrigation systems, and even air filtering systems that wouldn’t get blocked by the plants’ pollen. It could be self-sustaining for a few weeks, perhaps even a few months. JARVIS had all the information he needed to see to the care of them whenever Tony wasn’t in the building for a while.

Most of the time, though, he took care of them himself.

It was something that calmed his mind down more than anything else. When he was working on his garden, he wasn’t worrying about everything that could go wrong. He wasn’t coming up with twenty different inventions at the same time. Instead, all of his focus was directed at what the plants needed. And for once in his life, he felt like he could provide what was needed, instead of never being enough.

So far, he hadn’t really shared it with any of the Avengers. It was _his_ , after all, like just about everything else wasn’t allowed to be. And because of his experiences, he tended to be _very_ careful about the people he shared his extremely limited personal things with.

But he’d been considering it, lately.

Part of it, he would freely admit, was his sad little crush on Bucky. There had always been a fondness due to everything he’d heard about him from his father, and aunt Peggy, and eventually even Steve. But the real Bucky was a thousand times better than that, smart and witty and devastatingly gorgeous.

Even without the whole crush, though, he could tell Bucky wasn’t doing great. He _tried_ , so very hard, but Tony could see it was _off_. Bucky didn’t like leaving the Tower all that much - too many people, too many impressions, too many potential attacks.

It left him to find his own place inside the Tower, and while Tony prided himself on having a lot of potential activities and safe spots in there, it was obvious it still wasn’t enough. There wasn’t really a place where Bucky truly felt at ease, which left him tense and wary. And as the weeks passed, despite his attempts to hide it, Tony could tell he was getting more and more tired. He was pretty sure Bucky wasn’t sleeping, at least not deeply - he knew enough about supersoldier physiology to be aware that they needed less sleep than a regular human, which meant it was saying something that Bucky didn’t appear like he got enough sleep.

After much consideration of the pros and cons, Tony made his decision.

Overall, he didn’t feel tense or pressured when spending time with Bucky, which had been one of his biggest worries. He was very sure Bucky would protect his privacy, too, and would respect it if Tony needed some time all by himself.

So one day, he approached Bucky and asked him to follow. When they were in the elevator, he turned to the taller man.

“Alright, so what I’m about to show you is _very_ private, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell any of the others about it,” he started. “I mean, I’m not sure it’ll help, but it’s worth a try, because you look like you need to find an actual place to feel at ease before you crack and just join Clint in the vents or something. And no one wants that.”

Bucky blinked down at him, looking rather stunned. “Wait, what is going on?”

“I’m going to show you a spot that is _secret_ and that hopefully will help you relax.” Nervousness made it rather hard to explain very well, so Tony just nodded at JARVIS’ camera and tried to keep his breathing even as the elevator started moving.

Despite the fact that there were no doubt many questions running through Bucky’s mind, he kept quiet as the elevator descended, stopping at a level that didn’t show up on the display.

“It’s just below my labs, but above the SI areas, so no one really knows it’s here,” Tony babbled as the doors opened to a small hallway. He’d wanted to make sure none of the pollen got into the non-specialized ventilation, which meant separating the elevator from the greenhouse area. “I mostly just wanted a place to relax and be _mine_ , but you kinda look like you might need it even more than I do, and it’s not like it’s much of a hardship sharing with you, or at least I hope it won’t be…”

He was looking at Bucky when he opened the door, which meant he saw the look of amazed wonder on his face as he looked around the plant-filled room.

“This… You’d honestly be okay sharing this with me?” Bucky asked, reverent.

“I mean, overall, yeah?” Tony shrugged a little, having to look away from that much gratitude. “There might be a few moments where I really need some private time, but I’ll be sure to warn you in those cases. And considering how busy I tend to be, I don’t always get to spend much time in here anyway.”

Frowning a little, Bucky turned to face him. “If you want, I can also just… make myself scarce whenever you get time to come here. It’s yours, after all, and… Honestly, getting to spend _any_ time in here is already… It means a lot to me.”

Tony coughed a little, trying to suppress his fidgeting. He wasn’t used to this, wasn’t very great with real emotions or giving a finger and not getting his arm pulled off. “How about I promise to let you know if I need the alone time, and we’ll do our own thing the rest of the time?”

“Alright,” Bucky agreed, turning back to the rest of the room again and smiling with an awe that honestly made Tony’s heart skip a beat.

It also made him all the more certain that sharing this with Bucky had been the right choice. He’d needed it, yes, but he would also _appreciate_ it the way plants _should_ be appreciated.

A thought that was only confirmed when, three days later, Bucky showed up with a few new plants that he, with some help from JARVIS, had researched and that should work with the rest of them. Tony fell a little more for him because of the utter _elation_ on his face when he gave Bucky a corner of his own to grow his plants in.


	2. Watch them grow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter, filling square S2: Strawberries for my Tony Stark Bingo (card 3022)! I hope you enjoy it!

With everything going on in his life, Tony felt he couldn’t be blamed for having a bit of an odd schedule. It helped that inspiration, even for him, could be a fickle mistress that was willing to show up one moment and would be gone the next morning if he decided to sleep rather than listen to her demands.

Most of his work could be done without, because he was _brilliant, thank you very much_ , but some of his very best inventions came to be when inspiration did hit.

Fortunately, JARVIS was kind enough to help him out with the people who would complain about his irregular schedule. Pepper and Steve both occasionally tried to get a bit too involved, which was extremely unfair. Just because a regular schedule worked best for _them_ didn’t mean it was for everyone, and they were both stubborn enough to be unwilling to believe that.

At least the others were a lot more understanding. Clint didn’t even have anything that could be called a schedule. Bruce did to some extent, but it mostly involved making sure he got enough sleep at least _sometime_ during the day to make sure he was rested enough to steady his emotions, and he was just as likely to work into the night when he was on the verge of figuring something out. Natasha varied her schedule on purpose, Tony thought, to make sure she would always be able to adapt to whatever was necessary during a mission. Sam generally didn’t bother to comment too much, after one conversation where Tony had told him this was simply what worked for him and had for decades already.

And of course there was Bucky, who was still trying to figure himself out and wouldn’t try telling others what to do.

Ever since he’d shown the other man his garden floor, he knew Bucky had been spending a lot of time in there. He’d dragged another chair into the corner Tony had designated for resting, and Tony honestly suspected it was where he got the most sleep.

The difference in him was obvious, and the others had remarked on it as well. But Bucky had refused to tell them where he went for most of his days that had him looking more relaxed and rested.

As far as Tony knew, none of the others were aware of exactly where he spent his time. He’d told them that he was aware of Bucky’s location, and that they shouldn’t be worried about it. It wasn’t something he’d expected to go over too well, and he wasn’t surprised that Steve still seemed concerned - this was _Bucky_ , after all. Natasha and Clint were mostly uncomfortable with _not knowing_ , and while Tony could understand that very well, he was also determined to protect both Bucky’s privacy and his own. Sam and Bruce, fortunately, both accepted his assurances and seemed mostly relieved that Bucky was doing better in the first place.

There hadn’t been a lot of moments the two of them had run into one another on the garden floor. As much as he might want to hide away all day, Bucky also spent some of his time with the others, trying to get used to being around people who wouldn’t hurt him. And Tony, as mentioned, was usually busy with plenty of other things as well.

The times they _did_ encounter one another were usually peaceful. Sometimes, they both tended to their own plants without saying a word. Other times, Bucky followed Tony around as he told the soldier all about the plants he’d gathered, or they had companionable conversations about all kinds of things they’d encountered during their days. It was honestly one of the easiest relationships Tony had ever had with anyone, platonic or otherwise, and he was enjoying it surprisingly much.

“So, how are your plants doing?” It was the middle of the night, but they were both awake and tending to their plants.

Bucky’s own corner looked well enough, but Tony had respected that it was _his_ and kept his distance. Considering the only other space in the Tower that was exclusively Bucky’s was his bedroom, and that wasn’t really a space that he could relax in, it only felt right to leave it alone.

“Wanna come see?” Bucky asked, voice relaxed. Nowadays, he even managed a small smile, though it was mostly reserved for when he was on the garden floor.

Tony smiled back, unable to help himself. “Only if you want to share - it’s your spot.”

It was difficult to tell what the look on Bucky’s face meant, exactly. Whenever he got too emotional, he still tended to revert to the flat look that had been the Winter Soldier’s trademark, though Tony knew there was more going on behind those eyes. As much as the others still got a bit restless when they saw that look, Tony wasn’t too concerned - if Bucky wasn’t happy, his face would _show_ it.

“Yeah, I… You’re welcome. Here.” It wasn’t smooth, not like Steve mentioned Bucky used to be at all times, but Tony didn’t get the impression that he didn’t mean what he was saying, so he approached slowly.

“Wow, Snowflake. Been hard at work, I see.”

Considering he’d only been at it for a few weeks, it wasn’t at the same level as the rest of the floor was. But it was _extremely_ well-taken care of. Soil loose, but not too much so, and not a weed in sight. Moist, but not overwatered, and each plant with ample space to grow and thrive.

Once more, Tony found himself glad he’d asked Bucky to share this space with him.

Years of Howard’s disgusted disapproval, of Obie’s boisterous belittling, meant that Tony was highly sensitive to rejection. And to have someone so obviously appreciate what he did, to appreciate plants the way he did, to have someone smile at him the way Bucky did…

Yeah, he was weak. He knew he was. But the more he got to know Bucky, the more Tony thought he would not take advantage of that weakness the way so many others had before.

And if he hoped that Bucky might return some of his feelings, well… No one needed to know about that.

Again, Bucky smiled at him. “Yeah, it’s… Nice. Peaceful. And JARVIS has been really helpful when I’ve had any questions.” Off to the side, Tony noticed the StarkPad that Bucky had been carrying around, and he suspected there were quite a few gardening books on there, from what he’d heard. “I like learning more, too.”

Tony chuckled. “Yeah, there’s plenty to learn about all kinds of plants. I’ve actually considered sectioning the floor so I can get some of the more exotic varieties in here as well, but…”

“It’s nicer as a whole,” Bucky agreed, looking around at all the green surrounding them. “Feels like an actual garden.”

“Exactly.” It was _so_ nice to talk to someone who _understood_. That was what, in the end, had him decide. “Here, there’s… There’s something I want to show you.”

Most of his plants were decorative - bright greens and flowers that cheered him up even on his worst days. There was something very soothing about the natural beauty of it all, and it had been what had drawn him to gardening in the first place. Most other things he did were functional, but this… this had little purpose other than to be beautiful, and he loved that that could be enough.

There was one corner, however, that was slightly different, and that was where he was currently leading Bucky.

A quick glance at Bucky’s face told him that the other man hadn’t been to this corner before. There was obvious surprise, as well as curiosity, as he looked at the fruits. Bushes of blueberries and smaller strawberry plants occupied the entire corner, some of the fruits ripe enough to eat already.

“Most of the plants I have are… aesthetic. They’re pretty, and they cheer me up. They don’t need to do anything but _exist_ and they make my day better,” he explained, Bucky listening quietly and attentively by his side. “But I like these fruits, so I decided… Well, if I wanted them, I might as well put them in, right?”

“They smell delicious,” Bucky admitted. He didn’t look disapproving - instead, he was smiling again, something soft in his eyes that Tony hadn’t seen before.

“Do you want one?” he offered, wanting to keep that smile. “Some of those strawberries look ready for picking.”

“If you wouldn’t mind sharing.”

Not with Bucky, at least. He often kept his fruits to himself, working them into smoothies or eating them as snacks, but he found himself wanting to share with Bucky. Wanting to share more than he’d thought he’d ever want to share.

Some of that probably shone through in his smile as he picked a few of the strawberries and held them up for Bucky to take, saying “not at all”, considering the blush on Bucky’s face. But it was late at night, and he was tired, and he was feeling too _much_ to hide it completely. And if Bucky tensed up, or backed away, he’d leave it alone. He’d respect that decision and keep his own distance.

Bucky did not tense up, or back away. Instead he stepped closer, accepted the strawberry and took an absolutely _sinful_ bite that had Tony’s gaze focused on those soft-looking lips that he wanted to taste for himself.

And then Bucky leaned in, and he did, and they tasted like strawberries and _hope_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this, and also feel free to come say 'hi' on my [Tumblr](https://eirlyssa.tumblr.com/) if you'd like.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and I hope you liked it! Feel free to come say 'hi' on my [Tumblr](https://eirlyssa.tumblr.com/) as well.


End file.
